Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh yesterday met and formally welcomed to Guyana the newly-appointed World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean, Ms. Francoise Clottes at the Ministry of Finance.
Minister Singh highlighted the progress made by Guyana over the years in strengthening the domestic economy and investing in economic and social infrastructure.
The Minister also shared with the Director Government’s vision for Guyana’s future, and the national development agenda required to realise this vision.
Further, Minister Singh took the opportunity of Ms. Clottes’s visit to highlight some of the development challenges that Guyana continues to face, including vulnerabilities, natural disasters and climate change, and the rising prices for energy which have had a significant impact on Guyana’s economy.
He also expressed government’s appreciation of the support provided by the World Bank to Guyana over the years. The World Bank has funded several significant programmes in Guyana, including the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control project that amounted to US$10 million, the Water Sector Consolidation Project that costs US$11.3 million, the Education for All Fast Track Initiative that amounted to US$45 million, the US$3.8 million Conservancy Adaptation Project, and, most recently, the US$4.2 million Improving Teacher Education Project which was approved by the Bank in October 2010.
Ms. Clottes is based in Washington DC, and replaces Ms. Yvonne Tsikata, who has been appointed Sector Director for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Department in the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia Vice Presidency.